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Somalian Spoken Word Poet Becomes a ‘Troubadour’

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Susan Harmon
Managing Editor

 

 K'Naan
Courtesy of Amazon
"Troubador"  - K'Naan, a Somalian rapper and spoken word poet, released his album "Troubador" Jan. 13. The album can be purched online or in stores.

   Growing up in Mogadishu, Somalia during the Somali Civil War, K’Naan started rapping at the age of nine. 

   At this early age, K’Naan’s grandfather, Haji Mohammed, taught him the art of spoken word poetry. His aunt, Magool, sang in Somalia as one of its most famous singers.

   Critics have said K'naan has "a sound that fuses Bob Marley, conscious American hip-hop and brilliant protest poetry." Although K’Naan raps, he uses his talent to bring a message to listeners while avoiding "gangsta rap" clichés. 

   "All Somalis know that gangsterism isn't to brag about. The kids that I was growing up with in Rexdale would wear baggy track suit pants, and a little jacket from Zellers or something, and they'd walk into school, and all the cool kids would be like, 'Ah, man, look at these Somalis. Yo, you're a punk!' And the other kid won't say nothing, but that kid, probably, has killed fifteen people,” K’Naan said in an interview for the Toronto, Canada newspaper Eye Weekly, according to Associated Content.

   In K’Naan’s newly released album “Troubadour,” listeners get a feel for K’Naan’s memories of living life in a war zone. In his song “If Rap Gets Jealous,” the lyrics say: “I got circumstances, but let me stop dancing around the issue / And tell you straight forward, I’m poor / A refugee, been in prison and survived the war / I come from the most dangerous city in this universe / You’re likely to get shot at birth.”

Other songs on K’Naan’s 2009 Troubadour album include:

  • Bang Bang
  • ABCs
  • Fire in Freetown
  • Fatima
  • Take a Minute
  • 15 Minutes Away
  • Wavin’ Flag
  • Dreamer
  • I Come Prepared
  • T.I.A.

   Wearing an earth toned fedora, military-style jacket and scarf in his “ABCs” video, K’Naan shows his sense of traditional style, but hopes his fame will help change the situation in his homeland instead of him owning a clothing line like some of his rap peers.

Unlike many Somalis, K’Naan received a chance to pursue his childhood dream of becoming a rapper. In 1991, K’Naan and his mother obtained an exit visa from Somalia and joined relatives in Harlem, New York before moving to Ontario, Canada. 

   In Canada, K’Naan learned English. He became a friend and associate of Canadian promoter, Sol Guy, who helped him secure a gig speaking before the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 1999, where he performed a spoken word piece criticizing the UN for its failed aid missions to Somalia. One of the audience members, Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour, so impressed by the young MC's performance and courage, he invited him to contribute to his 2001 album “Building Bridges,” a project through which K'naan was able to tour the world. 

   This project led to his work at other UN events, as well as the Montreal Jazz Festival and the Halifax Pop Explosion. It also helped him meet Canadian producer Jarvis Church in 2002, who produced his debut album “The Dusty Foot Philosopher,” which was released in 2005 to critical acclaim. In 2006, it won the Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year, and received a nomination for the inaugural Polaris Music Prize. It also won the BBC Radio 3 Award for World Music in the newcomer category for 2007.

   For more information on K’Naan, please visit his official Web site.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

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